a hike to stewart falls :

this is my siblings' favorite hike to go on in the mountains by where we live.  it's short and easy, it's beautiful, and there's a waterfall at the end.  i love living in the mountains.  what i longed for most when we were away in austin was the majesty and vastness of the mountains of our provo canyon.  it's so good to be back in utah.

also, the shakes at the sundance deli are the greatest.  we love chocolate and oreo best. 

on our wedding day :  prep & dress details

the temple sketch was done by my sister madalyn, who also made the beautiful bloomy bouquet i had at the temple and here.  at this point it was wilted from being left out in the sun during the reception, but it was a very special detail and we wanted a close up anyway.

joanna doubled as my photographer's assistant and my fairy godmother.  how she made my hair look so luscious and thick, just don't know.  it was exactly what i wanted for the dinner party later that evening.  fitting these prep photos into the schedule was important to me.  not only did i want the pictures that would come from it, but it was really nice to sit with my bridesmaids and chat with my mom and just share some quiet time on such a busy day.

i knew that i'd have to design my dress from the beginning, but i went dress shopping anyway for the experience.  when i tried to describe the dress i had in mind i only confused people.  i wanted a dress that had weight to it- a full, grab-able skirt- but not like a ball gown because that shape doesn't behave naturally or have flowy movement.  i wanted the material to be soft and organic and imperfect.  but none of those things coexisted in one dress, so i started looking for a seamstress.  i was recommended to nancy who gracefully extracted the feelings i had about my dress and put them onto paper, and then sewed them into my gown.  i often didn't know what i wanted until i saw it and would revert back to my dress words (delicate, youthful, feminine, natural) until nancy came up with the perfect thing i had imagined but just didn't know how to describe.  if it was a frustrating or annoying process for her i didn't know it!  she was always patient, sincerely wanted to make me happy, and answered every request above and beyond.

we achieved the soft, full skirt with creamy raw silk & the flow and movement with chiffon layered over top of it, the delicacy with my grandmother's european organza (that we found in a box in my basement!), and the femininity with the peplum, pearl buttons, and long  silk ribbon.  truly, my dream dress.  nancy also embellished my shoes with scraps of the organza.

MUAH : joanna ballentine  |  photography : rylee hitchner  |  flowers : honey of a thousand flowers / madalyn louise  |  dress : nancy barrus couture

sunflowers, madalyn, portra :

contact me at jackygirlphoto@gmail.com for photo inquiries

on our wedding day : an afternoon reception

most receptions in utah are had the evening and the intimate family time takes form as a luncheon, but my mom had the idea to switch it up and am so glad we did!  it was a lovely day to be outside and it was fun to see so many people that we wouldn't have been able to had we only done a small dinner party like we had originally planned.  also, i loved letting go with this event.  we tried to make it really personal and friendly and homemade and by the looks of these photos i think we did!

my little sister katelyn made the little macaroons and our aunts and uncles helped out with the gorgeous food.  fiore pizza humored my obsession with blackberries and made their own version of a recipe i found on pinterest.  when we tried it at our tasting we went to honey drizzled, blackberry, pistachio, goat cheese heaven.  they are awesome.  if you haven't been to the food truck round up in provo to taste for yourself, you need to check your priorities.

we were told that the reception was gorgeous and everyone had a great time and just had to take their word for it!  the first we saw of our reception was in these photos.  having a reception line'll do that to a bride and groom.  don't even try to escape it because it's impossible.  regardless of the receiving line, i'm really thankful to have met so many new people, enjoyed seeing old friends, and feel of the love and support of truly irreplaceable friends and family.

other details :
+  whenever i'm in line to congratulate the bride & groom i always choke and say something dumb like "good luck on your honeymoon!" my husband and i wrote letters to each other for two years, so we thought making a display of—well, our beginnings—would give people some not awkward small-talk material.
+  the harp that was played is mine.  we rolled it out from the living room!  perk of having the reception at my house, ha
+  there's a japan(where zac served his mission)ese tradition wherein the bride folds 1,000 paper cranes for good luck in her upcoming marriage.  my sisters, brothers, moms and best friends spent countless hours with me folding these paper cranes that hung here at our luncheon.  they're so special and beautiful so we kept them to hang in a nursery someday.

photography : rylee hitchner  |  flowers : honey of a thousand flowers |  catering : fiore pizza